Importance of taking a break at work

Posted February 25, 2013

Brad Porter

Flexible Workspace Founder

Brad Porter (Flexible Workspace Founder) is an intrepid entrepreneur, humanitarian, cyclist and surfer with a love for life and an opinion for just about anything close to his heart. Thank heaven for this blog which gives him a platform to speak out about the typical issues South Africans face on a daily basis while providing some useful survival tips along the way.

ABOUT FLEXIBLE WORKSPACE

Through innovation, technology and our people-first approach, our aim is to establish ourselves as the market leader in the serviced office industry in South Africa.

Our commitment to transparency and service excellence drives us to give of our best to our customers and business partners.

We are enthusiastic and passionate about our business and we have aligned ourselves with partners who support our vision and share our values.

With our manic working lives having bosses to please, deadlines to meet and goals to achieve, I can hear you say when do I get the time for a break?

The answer is simple – find time. Taking a break at work can do wonders, not only for our overall productivity but for our stress levels too. Surveys have shown that a good balance at work has an important effect on other areas of your life.

Due to the average adult having a concentration span of between 4 -5 minutes, it is recommended taking regular breaks to recharge our mental batteries thus improving concentration and overall mood.

Simply taking a walk to the office kitchen or water cooler every so often can do us the world of good – not only improving our work productivity, but our home lives too. This ensures you have snacks on hand and cool water to drink. Put simply, it is the perfect all-in-one snack and drink solution.

Despite this, some of us more contentious types often feel guilty about taking a break at work – especially if we have a deadline looming ahead of us. The fact of the matter is, those of us who recognise the importance of taking a break are more likely to be alert and productive than those of us who don’t. That colleague of yours who’s frowned upon for making too many trips to the water cooler or kitchen may actually be on to something after all.However, do not get too complacent during your break or get too focused on taking breaks through the day that you in turn become unproductive.

So next time your mind wanders or you feel red in the face, just remind yourself of the importance of taking a break at work.